Not a lecture, or self-congratulatory post, just some thoughts and observations:

To begin, the only highway in the world where I consistently honor the speed limit runs through Grand Teton National Park. The views are stunning, the wildlife abundant (though too often killed by speeding vehicles) and it's where I do the bulk of my bicycle riding. Thus, I always set the cruise control at 55 mph.

But when I take a proper road trip, I typically set the cruise control 5-10 mph faster than the posted limit.

I drove over to Sun Valley yesterday to compete in a bicycle race early this morning. I wasn't in a hurry, and I thought I'd see what it was like to drive the speed limit. I was particularly interested in gauging the effect on fuel efficiency. Of course, to have a point of comparison, I made today's return trip at more typical cruise control settings (75 when posted 65, 65 when posted 55).

Driving 16% slower on the way to Sun Valley resulted in 5.6% better fuel efficiency. The difference in time: 40 minutes.

Not sure what this all means in terms of changing my driving habits, but it was an interesting learning experience.

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